Alaska’s Wielechowski Named VVA State Legislator Of The Year

Alaska State Sen. Bill Wielechowski, a strong supporter of veterans and active-duty military, has been named State Legislator of the Year by Vietnam Veterans of America. 

“Early in his first campaign in 2006, he reached out to veterans organizations to listen to their concerns,” said Ric Davidge, who chairs VVA’s Government Affairs Committee. “As the president of VVA Chapter 904, I offered to help set this up. He sat there listening and asking questions, but never making speeches.

“As co-chair of the Joint Armed Services Committee for six years, Sen. Wielechowski has worked tirelessly to ensure veterans and service members have a voice. Through his committee he has continued to initiate town hall meetings and listen to military and veterans groups to ensure there is support for our service members and their families. As a result, he is the best-informed member of our State Legislature on active service and veterans issues,” Davidge said.

“Senator Wielechowski and his staff put out a call in advance for any legislative issues veterans or service members would like to have considered. Then we all work together to outline, craft, and prune these items into a group of bills that are defensible as well as politically doable.

As a result, Bill Wielechowski has taken our ideas, initiated and passed more veteran and service member legislation and budget items than any other member of the Alaska State Legislature.”